


The Road to Successful Human Transmutation

by StrawhatsAndDelibirds



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon, Pregnancy, Tagging characters as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:01:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27343981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawhatsAndDelibirds/pseuds/StrawhatsAndDelibirds
Summary: Ed has known for a long time that Winry had been someone beyond extraordinary. She was to automail what he was to alchemy (even if he couldn't really use it practically anymore, he still had the knowledge), and now she was doing something even beyond that.Winry was creating a life.
Relationships: Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Comments: 12
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

“So what’s wrong with her?! Is she sick!? Allergies!? Can’t be food poisoning, because I was eating the same food as her and I didn’t get sick!” Ed’s nerves were getting the better of him and he couldn’t stay in his seat. He needed solutions, and sitting around on his ass wasn’t going to do anything. Pacing at least made him feel a little more in control. 

“You told me about the time you ate a _ boot, _ Ed…” Winry groaned in bed. “I don’t think you get to be the marker on what can and can’t give someone food poisoning.”

“It was on my _ automail _ foot! And it was a _ leather _ boot! Leather is made from _ cow _ hide so it’s not a weird thing to eat in a dire situation!” He gestured to the aforementioned foot, as if Winry had forgotten the leg she built him. 

“Well, I can’t attest to Ed being immune to food poisoning, but I think I do know what’s wrong.” The doctor cut in. The people of Resembool all knew what they were like. This wasn’t new to her. 

“Is it that I married a  _ loud _ man with  _ no _ cooking skills?”

“I’ve cooked before!” He loved Winry a  _ lot _ , but she had a _ lot  _ of nerve for someone who was supposed to be sick. 

“No, well maybe, but that’s not what I was talking about.” She once more had Ed’s undivided attention. “It seems as though Winry might be pregnant.” 

Pregnant? 

The word hung in the air as the possibility sunk in. This was an option that Ed hadn’t thought about at all. 

“Like with a  _ child? _ ” He pointed to Winry’s stomach. “In  _ there? _ ”

“I would hope so. I’d be concerned if it was a rabbit.” The doctor laughed. 

“Is there a way we can be sure?” Winry asked, her hands now resting delicately on her stomach. Her stomach where there could be a kid in there. 

_ Their _ kid. 

Ed was going to be a father. How the hell was he supposed to be a  _ father _ to this kid? Ed was the last person who should raise a kid, because there wasn’t a  _ singular  _ thing he knew about kids other than they were tiny people who didn’t know stuff. There was absolutely no way this kid wasn’t going to get messed up because of him. 

Because all he has to go off of it don’t die and also don’t leave with no warning and let your kids fend for themselves. Ed didn’t exactly have a  _ good _ childhood. There were lots of enjoyable parts, but there was so much danger that he’s surprised he’s made it to adulthood, let alone far enough to be a  _ father _ . His kid couldn’t live like that.

He didn’t even know what was normal for a kid to experience! He wasn’t even legally an  _ adult _ when he took down Father. He didn’t want his kid to go through all that bullshit. 

“Ed!” Winry’s voice brought him back. 

“Yeah? I’m listening.” He lied, trying to ignore the fact that he was as freaked out about this as he was excited. 

“Dr. Avery said that we could go to Central and get a second opinion. She said that they should have a way to be able to tell this early on.” 

Right, the kid wasn’t even here yet. There was still time to figure this kind of thing out. There had to be books on this kind of stuff. Central would have books on this. 

Maybe while he was there, he could check out the library. It had a book on the  _ philosopher’s stone, _ there had to be at least  _ one  _ book on how to raise a kid without causing irreparable damage. 

“Ed!” Winry yelled again. 

“What?! I’m listening!” 

“Then what did I just say.” Winry challenged, because they both knew damn well that he wasn’t. 

“Uh… You said we’re going to get on a train, head to Central, and stay at a hotel there?” Hopefully? 

Winry gave him a tired and weak smack on the arm. “No, I said to call  _ Gracia _ and ask if we can stay with them while we’re there.” 

That was a better idea. That way he wouldn’t have to worry as much about Winry because Gracia would be a lot better help than Ed was going to be. And it’d give him ample time to figure out how to not  _ completely _ mess this up. 

“Yeah, I can go phone her. You just rest for now. Do you need me to get you anything?” Because Ed might’ve been of extremely minor help during a birth, but that was for a stranger. It was _ so _ much different when it was your own person that you helped make with your wife you love. 

And Winry wasn’t even like, ready to _ burst  _ yet. A doctor had to tell them she was, that’s how early on in her pregnancy she was. 

“Just wake me before you start packing, okay?” 

“I can handle it, don’t worry.” He reassured. 

Ed could pack clothes. She shouldn’t be pushing herself right now. It couldn’t be good for the baby, and Ed knew just how much went into human transmutation. Winry was making a  _ life _ right now. She was far more advanced than Ed ever was as an alchemist. He had to do everything in his power to make sure that she was safe and comfortable. 

“Just don’t pick weird clothes, Ed…” 

“There’s nothing wrong with the clothes I pick.” He had arguably the best style of anyone he knew. 

“Losing your alchemy was the best thing that’s ever happened to your wardrobe.” That was not only rude, but also not the first time he’s been told that. 

“I can pick boring clothes then.” He was just going to have to take up sewing or something. A lot of these skills were going to start back from square one, but all of them making fun of him only made him want to wear those clothes again more. 

Maybe he could even sew something so that him and his baby could match, and he could have an exceptionally cool baby. 

And now he’s back to thinking about the baby. He couldn’t wait until he got to Central. He needed any and all possible resources under his belt for this. 

But they had to make sure that this was actually the real deal. Because maybe it was food poisoning, and he was making a fuss over nothing. Maybe that boot  _ did _ give him some sort of immunity. 

He left their room so Winry could rest, and went down to the living room to call Gracia. The wait fortunately gave him plenty of time to think about what he was going to say, because he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to say anything. Winry was the one growing this person, she should be the one who gets to tell her.    
  


“Hello?” Gracia answered. 

Ed was a smart man. He was the youngest state alchemist in history and even if he couldn’t do it anymore, he understood it inside and out. Figuring out what components were in an object and breaking it down to it’s basest elements and figuring out exactly what else it could be made into? Absolute child’s play. 

The moment Gracia picked up the phone, Ed was the dumbest man on the planet. His mind was completely blank and he couldn’t find the words he wanted at all. 

“Hello?” Gracia asked. 

He had to say something. If he didn’t she was going to hang up and he was going to have to try again.  **_“Gak!”_ **

That wasn’t a word, but he felt as though it at least bought him some time. 

“Who is it, are you alright?!” Worrying her wasn’t intentional, but it’d probably help long term so he’d accept it. 

“It’s Ed, uh, Rockbell, formerly Elric. You don’t mind if me and Winry stay over at your place for a while, right?” She always said her doors were open to him whenever they were in Central. 

That was probably because Ed and Al were literal  _ children _ running around and getting into mortal peril. He’d keep his doors open too if that were the case. 

“Of course, is everything alright?” 

He couldn’t just say what they were heading into Central for. If he did she’d immediately know. A test at the hospital where they didn’t have to stay in the hospital after? How would that not make her suspicious?

“Yeah yeah everything’s fine. It’s great! Things are great!” They were, they were just a terrifying kind of great. “I, uh… Winry can explain everything when we get there.” 

Not his best lie, but again, not a lie. Winry would also be in great hands with Gracia. Gracia had experience with being a pregnant woman so she probably knew some trick to making sure everything went okay. 

“Okay, I’ll get the guest room ready. I’m guessing you’ll both be on your way soon?”

“Yeah, I’m just going to get us packed and we’ll be on the next train to Central.” 

“Okay, have a safe trip.” 


	2. Chapter 2

It was a l _ ong  _ trip to Central, and now they were going to have to wait. 

They started the test, but they wouldn’t get the answer right away. Gracia was going to get the call once they were certain, but Ed had worked through all the possibilities on the way over. 

It could  _ only _ be pregnancy, right? He wasn’t like a doctor, and alchemy didn’t really cover any of the medical field. There was some wound patching that he did, and he understood what all went  _ into  _ making a human on an elemental level, but none of that meant  _ anything  _ in the grand scheme of things. 

Especially since it took who knows how many years off his life for one and seven years of hard research, chance, and  _ all  _ his alchemy to  _ start  _ to fix the damage the last one caused. So arguably it could be said he should be the last one to talk to about medical things. 

But Ed had a hunch. 

And if that hunch  _ was  _ correct, he was both so excited  _ and  _ so nervous he could barely process it. Because he was gonna be a dad, but also he was going to be a dad. 

“Are you  _ sure _ you should be walking on your own? I could carry you if you want. You’re kinda doing a lot of stuff right now and you should focus on that.” 

“Ed I can walk. We’re just going to the cab, and then to Gracia’s house. It’s not that far.” 

“But there’s _ stairs  _ there, and like _ a lot  _ of them, and you’re building  _ a life  _ right now. That’s gotta be really hard, right? You should focus on that.” He went to touch her stomach, but then stopped short so his hands were just floating nervously around her stomach. He didn’t wanna accidentally squish it or something. 

“It’s not that big a deal, Ed… It’s not that involved.” Winry tried to comfort, like she’s built a _ baby  _ before. She’s only built arms and legs, and this time there was going to be so much more than just that. She’s never built an organ or a head. 

If anything  _ Ed  _ was the one with experience here, and he knew how much strain and effort it was to build an entire body. He also knew the effects it could have. 

This wasn’t alchemy, but you never know. Maybe something could happen and she’d lose a leg too. 

Though she’d probably be over the moon to get to have automail. She probably already has one in mind if it were to ever happen. 

“Do I even _ want  _ to know what you’re thinking about, Ed? I feel like I should be worried.” Winry sighed. 

“I’m just thinking about how  _ I  _ have the experience here in making a body, and that you should take it easy. It’s a _ really _ hard thing to do, you know!” 

Winry responded by hammering down on the top of his head with her fist. “Pregnancy and alchemy  _ aren’t  _ the same thing at all! Is that  _ all  _ you have up there, alchemy brain?” 

“I’m _ trying  _ to be  _ responsible!  _ You’ve only made  _ arms  _ and  _ legs!”  _

“My  _ body  _ is making the baby!  _ I’m  _ not the one doing anything about it, Ed!” 

**_“EDWARD AND WINRY ROCKBELL! WHAT A LOVELY SURPRISE IT IS TO SEE YOU!”_ ** A booming voice echoed through the hospital halls. 

Oh  _ great.  _

Major Armstrong was a great guy, and he’s helped Ed out  _ a lot _ over the years but now was  _ really  _ not the time. 

He looked to Winry, who was also on the same page as him. Until they knew for  _ sure, _ they didn’t want to tell anyone. 

And if anyone was going to find out first it was going to have to be Teacher, Sid, and Granny. If Major Armstrong found out, there was absolutely  _ no  _ way that this was staying a secret. None at all.  _ All _ of Central would know and then Teacher would punch him into space. And then  _ who’d _ be his kid’s dad? 

“Hey, Major. How’re you?” Ed asked nervously as the building of a man walked over. Even after all this time he was still so much taller. Ed might’ve been the second tallest one here, but it didn’t mean he didn’t feel like a kid compared to him. 

“No need for the formality, Edward. I’ve left the military. Someone needed to take over my family’s flower shop, it’s been in our family  **_for generations!”_ ** He flexed, his shirt now nowhere to be found. “Please, call me Alex.” 

“Okay,  _ Alex _ … how’ve you been?” After years of calling him Major Armstrong, calling him Alex felt so wrong. Like he was going to be yelled at for it or something. 

“I’ve been wonderful! I’m here making deliveries for clients. My business is doing wonderfully!” He flexed, now in a different position. 

At least that much hasn’t changed. It would be so weird if Ma-  _ Alex _ was suddenly not flexing all the time. It’d be like he was an entirely different person. It’d be too weird. 

“Now tell me. What exactly is it you’re doing here? You both appeared to be in high spirits for either of you to have needed to come all the way in town for the hospital. Are you visiting someone?” Alex questioned. 

He looked to Winry. Which was unfortunate because she was looking to him. She was busy building their baby, so he was going to be the one that had to be reliable here. 

“We’re here because we think Winry has worms.” 

She stomped down hard on his flesh foot. Which  _ really _ hurt despite how thick his boot was.

“I mean because we think _ I _ have worms.” 

Ma- Alex loomed over them, humming slightly as he weighed his lie. It wasn’t even a good lie. It was like the worst lie he’s ever told in his life. It didn’t make it clear what they were actually here for, but it was for sure not that. 

“And your doctor back in Resembool couldn’t cover that?” He asked incredulously. Which was bad because he definitely knew. He knew and there was nothing Ed was going to be able to do to fix it. 

“She was out! With the flu! So we came here instead!” That made sense, right? Ed felt like of all his lies that one was the one that made the most sense. 

“So why did you not go to the Hospital in East City?” M-Alex asked, still looming over. 

“Ed just has more experience with this one! You know how he was when he was younger!” Winry added while he was still figuring it out a good answer. 

Winry shouldn’t be worrying about this kind of stuff. She was busy building their baby. He was already doing a bad job as a dad if he couldn’t even think of a good lie to cover their tracks. 

God, was this how Hughs felt all the time? How much longer until he was carrying around pictures of Winry?

Alex hummed judgmentally as he was deciding whether or not he wanted to believe their lie. “I see…” 

He stood back up straight, picking his shirt up off the floor. 

Their lie worked. It actually worked. 

“Well we should get going. Gracia’s letting us stay with her while we’re in town and we shouldn’t keep her waiting, right Ed?” Winry tugged on his arm. 

“Right we shouldn’t keep her waiting. She’ll definitely want an update on things.”

“On your worms?” Alex raised an eyebrow. 

He shouldn’t have said anything. Because all their hard work was ruined. 

“Well you know how Gracia is.  _ Worry worry worry.” _ Ed laughed nervously. 

“Yeah! She was worried about how this was going to go.” Winry laughed with him. “Which is  _ why  _ we should get going! We don’t wanna miss the call we’re going to get.” 

Alex hummed again. “I see… Well I’ll be sure to come by later and bring you flowers.” He put his hand on his Ed’s head, the same way all large men did. “I hope you feel better soon, Edward.” 

“Thank you Major, I mean Alex.” Ed said, ducking out of his patting to take Winry by the arm to take their leave. “We’ll see you later then.” 

“Take care, Edward and Winry Rockbell.” Alex nodded, and went back to his deliveries. 

Ed and Winry stood in the hallway staring as that ridiculously large man picked up a basket full of bouquets of extravagant flowers on the other end of the hall. Neither of them said a word until he had disappeared entirely. 

And even then, they were silent for a while after. 

Winry was the first one to break the silence. “I think we’re doomed, Ed.” 

“We’re so doom.” 


	3. Chapter 3

Work as the fuhrer wasn’t as glamorous as he’d hoped it would be. Every day there only seemed to be more paperwork than the last. No matter how hard he worked there was never any progress on it. 

What he needed was something interesting as a change of pace. 

Definitely not anything work related. If Roy had learned anything, it was that any sort of event in the end was more trouble than it was worth. Especially after dealing with the residual paperwork and documentation after the Promised day and all the reforms Grunnman put in. 

But maybe a little personal stuff. No one’s been up to anything lately. It was like they hit a dry spell after Ed and Winry’s wedding. Since there was only so much he could take about listening to Havac talk about his latest girlfriends, it seemed as though he had to do everything around here. 

So what was it that he should do. It was such a vague thought, and now that he was fuhrer he felt as though a whole new world of opportunity had opened up for him. 

Maybe he could do that mini skirt thing for shits and giggles. 

“I don’t know what it is that you’re planning, sir, but I highly recommend that you don’t.” Hawkeye, ever vigilant, chimed in. 

“You don’t even know what I’m planning. It could be something good.” Some would argue that it’s very good. 

“In all the years I’ve known you, it’s rarely ever good. If I don’t keep an eye on you you’ll find another child to join the military.” She looked him dead in the eye. “With all due respect, sir, you’re more than enough.” 

“Who knows, we might have another national crisis that needs a wildcard.” Halfmetal was one of the better things that happened to this country and Roy was the one that kept him on such a long leash to roam around and provide endless entertainment. There were clear benefits to encouraging wildcard behavior. 

One of those just so happened to be that they were very entertaining. 

He had to wonder what Halfmetal was up to, and if he could be convinced to go on some wild quest for him. 

“I’m sure if we need him, Edward would be willing to come out of retirement and lend a hand. You know as well as I do that wildcards don’t change their colours so easily.” 

How easy to forget that he retired at the age eighteen. He supposed a good ending point to a career is fighting god and even if he did still have his alchemy, there weren’t any more state alchemists. 

“Careful Hawkeye, you’re getting dangerously close to a compliment there.” He teased. “I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we hear from him. Halfmetel’ll kick open the door and present us with some new problem that he’s uncovered with the new discoveries he’s made. Maybe he’ll present us with a portal to a parallel world and maybe he’ll bring a dragon through for us to fight.” Envy was ridiculous enough. He couldn’t imagine anything else looking like that.

“Don’t sound so excited, sir, as Fuhrer you’ll be responsible for all the paperwork that’ll come with it. And don’t forget what happened to the Fuhrer the last time Ed got involved in uncovering secrets.”

Roy rolled his eyes. “I’m not involved in any scandals. Unless you want to-”

Someone knocked on the door. 

Now was not the best time. He was in the middle of something, but unfortunately flirting wasn’t enough to qualify as an excuse to get out of what was no doubt paperwork. 

“Yeah!” He never got up before, so he certainly wasn’t going to now. Especially since no one out ranked him now. 

“Fuhrer Mustang! I’ve got some news!” Alex announced as he entered the room. 

Now this was exactly what he was talking about. Alex wouldn’t be here for no reason, this had to be good. He was his eyes on the ground with both personal and business affairs. Updates of any kind would be welcomed. 

“Alex, it’s great to see you! Let me guess. You’ve finally found a woman and you’re marrying her in a month’s time.” Flowers were a great business to hear things around central. Especially since through the Armstrongs. They had a mobile business, and they were around town more than anyone in Central. 

“Not quite. But I would argue that this is just as important.” 

If Roy were to make an honest guess, he’d say that Alex finally caught wind of that smuggling ring that’s been giving them so much trouble. They had good relations with Xing, but they could have some issues on a diplomatic level if they didn’t deal with this. 

They’ve been quiet lately, but quiet doesn’t mean stopped. Maybe  _ that _ was something to send Halfmetal to do. It’d be interesting to say the least. 

“So, tell us what this ‘big news’ is.” 

“I saw Edward and Winry at the hospital when I was doing my deliveries. They both seemed to be in good health. Edward made the claim that one of them had worms, and that their doctor in Resembool was sick, but he seemed uncertain of it. I have my suspicions that it’s _ not  _ a parasite that they’re carrying, but a  **baby!** ” He announced, his shirt thrown from his body as he flexed and posed. 

He knew he could count on Halfmetal to go and do something entertaining. This was exactly what he meant when he said he wanted something. Ed being a dad is hilarious. Not to mention he went and made more of him. That was the worst idea ever and Roy couldn’t be more excited. 

“Didn’t they only get married a few months ago?” Not that he doubted it happened, but still that was _ fast. _

“They have, but I know what I saw!” He changed pose, as Roy could see the tears welling up in his eyes. “To think he was but a boy when I first saw him! Now he’s starting his own family!” 

“He’s _ still  _ just a boy. How old is he? Nineteen?” 

“He’s twenty this year.” Hawkeye corrected, as if that wasn’t still incredibly young. Especially to have a kid. 

“Doesn’t matter. He’s a kid.” A kid who was his subordinate. “But you really think him and Winry are going to have a baby?” 

“I’m positive, sir. I see no other reason why the two of them would come all this way to Central and not inform us ahead of time.” Halfmetal might, but more because that was how he operated. He showed up somewhere and was from that point on your problem. It was amazing when you got to watch it or hear about it. 

Roy still thinks about him showing up at Briggs with no warning. If only he didn’t have other things to worry about, that would’ve been incredible. How he missed getting calls from people telling him where Ed was and what trouble he’s gotten into this time. 

“I see… And they’re still in town, right? You’re certain they haven’t gotten on a train?” 

“They said they were heading to Gracia’s house.” 

He should’ve known. Gracia was very close to those two. 

“I think I’m going to have to call them. Check in on my two favourite newly weds.” 

“Sir, you have so much work to do. Is now really the time?” 

“I can think of no better time. As his former superior officer, I believe it’s my duty to check up on him while he’s dealing with his ‘worms’.” 

_ “Sir.”  _ Hawkeye used her stearn voice. 

He could do something much grander. She was right. To just call him and ask him about his worms was child’s play. 

“You’re right. Alex, I’m going to need you to keep an eye around town for me for when you spot him next.” He wasn’t going to let himself into Gracia’s home and cause a stir like that, but if he just so happened to come across him on the street, then what was stopping him from asking Ed about his supposed worms? 

“Will do, sir.” Alex soluted, and took his leave to do that. He might not’ve been part of the military, but he still did an excellent job of taking orders. And he was his best source of information at the moment and he couldn’t be happier. 

“Fuhrer, if you’re going to play games like that, you had better get ahead in your work.” Hawkeye said, and Roy knew it was for the best.

If he didn’t, he was going to end up so far behind. 

“I can agree to those terms.” 

“You’re certain?” 

“I wouldn’t say so if I wasn’t.” 

Hawkeye nodded, and left the room. 

There had been so much lately that he had to have been close to catching up. Hawkeye was on his case enough that slacking was a much harder task to do. A lot more so when he was just a Colonel. 

Though the longer that Hawkeye was gone, the more he was starting to get concerned. There was absolutely no way that there was that much paperwork still to do. But there was no way that he could turn down the opportunity to antagonize Halfmetal like this. 

After having disappeared for an agonizing half an hour, Hawkeye returned and dropped the papers down in front of him with an audible thud. 

“And you’re still certain about this, sir?” She asked, staring him dead in the eye. 

She’s worked with him long enough, she already knew the answer. 

“I’m certain, now let me do my paperwork. I have a house husband to bother.” 


End file.
